What is Given...

We want you to know about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia… (2 Corinthians 8:1)

I want you to know about the gift that keeps on giving.  It’s grace, isn’t it?  Certainly, when we think about gifts, we think about money, time, objects given to people we know and love, but true grace is an unmerited gift or sacrifice to people we may not know (or may not even like).  The people in Asia Minor had experienced this unmerited favour of God and were brought to their knees begging to be part of the grace-ful opportunities that marked life in the body of Christ.

So was the church in Corinth.

If there was a congregation that may have grated on the Apostle Paul’s nerves, it may have been Corinth.  Morally lax, combative congregants, divisions in the church about dogma and doctrine – these all seemed to be a thorn in the side of the church in Corinth understanding the gift that keeps on giving – God’s grace.

A miracle happened.  Something changed in their hearts.  Whether the prompting of the Holy Spirit or Paul’s first chastising letter to the Corinthians, the people came to their senses and recognised that there was something far bigger out there than just their corner of the globe.  They wanted to be part of building God’s kingdom here on earth.

This week, as we begin a five part series on The Gift that Keeps on… read chapters 8 and 9 of Second Corinthians to get a sense of the joy that comes from knowing the community’s gifts are being used for God’s glory and to release the pent up gratitude of the Corinthians.

Pr Reid Matthias

Bible Readings: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

Prayer Request
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

Food Collection for the Family Hub
Next Sunday September 29th is food collection for the Family Hub.  This will be the second to last collection for 2019.

After auditing their supplies the Hub has indicated that their requirements to continue to support families in need are:
Tuna,
Pasta sauces
Muesli bars
Cheese – all forms i.e. grated, sliced, block
Dish detergent
Tea
Coffee

Thank you for your continued support of this project to support families in need in the district.

Ladies Fellowship
Next meeting Tuesday the 1st October at 1pm.  No guest speaker this month, but fantastic bible study by one of our Pastors, followed by great fellowship with afternoon tea.  Also bring your favourite gadget and tell us it’s use.

Step Up to Communion
Young people aged 10 and over, and their parents, are invited to take part in our Step Up program to prepare for Holy Communion.  Taking the approach that parents are the primary faith developers in their children, Step Up is designed to support parents in preparing their child for Holy Communion.

Step 1 (Launch) Family Lunch – Sunday 20th October, 12:30-2:30pm in the church hall
To register please contact Georgie Schuster, Young Families Coordinator at georgie.schuster@paravista.org.au  More information is available on the Church website http://paravista.org.au/baptism-setup/

Are you a Parent/Grandparent?
Are you someone who shares a passion for sharing faith with young children?
Would you be interested in helping out with the Kid’s Space on Sunday mornings?
If so, I would love to hear from you!  I am interested in finding people who would like to share their passion and a little time to invest in our younger generation.  Even a little goes a long way!  Please let me know if this is something that interests you.  I’m happy to chat with you about what this might look like.

Please talk with me in person, phone 08 82647966 or email me on georgie.schuster@paravista.org.au  I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

From the Office

Mission Vision Support
This month’s support will go towards the Meet N Eat team.  The team have supplied over 2300 meals this year, on a very meagre budget, to the lonely and less fortunate.  They have also listened to many stories and shared through a scrumptious hot meal the Love of Jesus to many who really need it.  Their motto ‘Come as a stranger, leave as a friend’.  Look for the Mission Vision Support envelopes at the entry doors and consider how you can assist, or donations can be made to:
BSB: 704942
Account number: 100713424
Reference: Meetneat

Facilities Safety 
We have been blessed with a wonderful facility and opportunities to provide a safe space to a great number of groups in the community.  This doesn’t just happen and time and effort are required to present it for use by all.  To keep it this way, all groups and users are reminded to watch out for each other and supervise the activities of all in a way that would leave the facility in a pleasing and acceptable standard that you would wish to find it.  This includes Sunday service.  Please note the safety signs that have been placed in/around the facility to assist in caring for our community.

Facilities Maintenance
Our front garden is looking great, thanks to a diligent few, and Salisbury council have kindly donated a load of mulch to assist in keeping the moisture in.  If you have half an hour to spare to assist in spreading the mulch at any time the garden will be appreciative.  If you do not have a wheelbarrow or shovel to move the mulch there is one available in the church store.  Please see the front office or be a great spirit and just turn up when you can and complete what you can.

Noticeboard

GLYNDE SPRING FAIR
In the New Community Centre at 22 Avenue Rd, Glynde
Saturday 12th October from 9.00am
Devonshire Morning Tea
Continuous Sausage Sizzle
Plenty of Stalls – cakes, biscuits, produce, plants, books, CDs, toys, craft etc
Money raised for Residential Care Home
This is a joint effort of LWSA/NT Glynde Auxiliary and ILU Residents Association.
For more information, please contact St Andrew’s Lutheran Church at Glynde on 08 8336 0130

“The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, 

Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Luke 17:20b-21

The Comforted by the Comforter

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

As I read those words from 2 Corinthians, I’m left with questions:  Is God the father of compassion, or is he a compassionate father?  Both?  What does it mean that God is the father of all comfort?  How is it that God comforts me when I am in despair?

These questions are part of the basic, fundamental thoughts that rumble around in the brains of most believers.  Although, in our cores, we have an idea that a peace that passes all understanding can descend on us during our time of struggle, the practicalities of it are hard to sense.  When we walk in the shadow of death and darkness, it is hard to hear a voice of comfort.  And yet, this is the promise of God through Jesus.

This week, Pastor Peter Steicke will walk us through the journey of comfort in the Holy Spirit.  Using the text from 2 Corinthians 1:3-11, Peter will shed light on the difficult path of suffering that pushes us towards God who in turn then pushes us back to each other so that we, as a body, suffer and rejoice together in spite of all difficulties.

We’ll see you on Sunday!

Pr Reid Matthias

Bible Readings: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 ESV
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

Prayer Request
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

Ladies Fellowship
Next meeting 1st October.  No guest speaker this month but fantastic bible study by one of our Pastors followed by great fellowship with afternoon tea.

Food Collection for the Family Hub
Next Sunday September 29th is food collection for the Family Hub.  This will be the second to last collection for 2019.

After auditing their supplies the Hub has indicated that their requirements to continue to support families in need are:
Tuna,
Pasta sauces
Muesli bars
Cheese – all forms i.e. grated, sliced, block
Dish detergent
Tea
Coffee.

Thank you for your continued support of this project to support families in need in the district.

Step Up to Communion
Young people aged 10 and over, and their parents, are invited to take part in our Step Up program to prepare for Holy Communion.  Taking the approach that parents are the primary faith developers in their children, Step Up is designed to support parents in preparing their child for Holy Communion.

Step 1 (Launch) Family Lunch – Sunday 20th October, 12:30-2:30pm in the church hall.
To register please contact Georgie Schuster, Young Families Coordinator at georgie.schuster@paravista.org.au  More information is available on the Church website http://paravista.org.au/baptism-setup/

From the Office

Finance Report
Offerings
August  – 2019
Aug 2018 Aug 2019 Monthly budget offerings 2019        
Offerings $36,004 $34,815           $41,300

Notes since last published report:
• Offerings in August still a little down, and continue to be of concern

Regular Electronic Giving (REG)
www.lll.org.au/REG

REG is a way for our members to regularly support the mission of our church.  Details of transactions are kept totally confidential. None of your personal details are given to the congregation or treasurer. The treasurer is only advised of the total amount credited to the account for the month. For those who are altering their giving through REG or wish to start giving via REG the appropriate forms are available from this link http://www.lll.org.au/giving_through_the_lll/regular_electronic_giving_reg  use BSB 704942 and Account number 100354939,
Alternatively deposits can be made to the following bank account details
BSB 704942. Account number 10354939

Mission Vision Support
This month’s support will go towards the Meet N Eat team.  The team have supplied over 2300 meals this year, on a very meagre budget, to the lonely and less fortunate.  They have also listened to many stories and shared through a scrumptious hot meal the Love of Jesus to many who really need it.  Their motto ‘Come as a stranger, leave as a friend’.  Look for the Mission Vision Support envelopes at the entry doors and consider how you can assist, or donations can be made to:
BSB: 704942
Account number: 100713424
Reference: Meetneat

Facilities Safety 
We have been blessed with a wonderful facility and opportunities to provide a safe space to a great number of groups in the community.  This doesn’t just happen and time and effort are required to present it for use by all.  To keep it this way, all groups and users are reminded to watch out for each other and supervise the activities of all in a way that would leave the facility in a pleasing and acceptable standard that you would wish to find it.  This includes Sunday service.  Please note the safety signs that have been placed in/around the facility to assist in caring for our community.

Facilities Maintenance
Our front garden is looking great, thanks to a diligent few, and Salisbury council have kindly donated a load of mulch to assist in keeping the moisture in.  If you have half an hour to spare to assist in spreading the mulch at any time the garden will be appreciative.  If you do not have a wheelbarrow or shovel to move the mulch there is one available in the church store.  Please see the front office or be a great spirit and just turn up when you can and complete what you can.

NOTICEBOARD

GLYNDE SPRING FAIR
In the New Community Centre at 22 Avenue Rd, Glynde
Saturday 12th October from 9.00am
Devonshire Morning Tea
Continuous Sausage Sizzle
Plenty of Stalls – cakes, biscuits, produce, plants, books, CDs, toys, craft etc
Money raised for Residential Care Home
This is a joint effort of LWSA/NT Glynde Auxiliary and ILU Residents Association.
For more information, please contact St Andrew’s Lutheran Church at Glynde on 08 8336 0130

www.sant.lca.org.au/

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Do You Want to Get Well

We have been deceived.

Somewhere deep inside all of us, I suppose, there is a vacancy, or a space – a deep void of longing to be filled – where the Deceiver whispers to us in the darkness, “You aren’t complete.”

In the Gospel narrative of Jesus’ temptation, Satan gives his own ‘theology of incompleteness’, telling the Son of God that he is not complete unless he is satisfied, unless he is safe, and unless he is powerful.  In other words:

You aren’t complete unless you are secure and whole.

Tim Keller writes in his book Walking with God through Suffering and Pain: “People now believe that we were not created primarily to serve God for his benefit.  Rather, God made the world for our benefit.”

This contemporary challenge to the ‘goodness’ of all creation comes at the expense of recognising the function and meaning of suffering in the world.  If God created the world for my benefit, and if I can somehow manipulate God to giving more blessings by being good, then when pain and suffering occurs, it follows that either God is not good, or there is no God.

Do you recognise the train of thought?

On the other hand, if we understand that God created this world for ‘goodness’ sake, then we recognise that even in pain or suffering, the glory of God can and will be revealed, especially in and through the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ.

This week, we see through the eyes of the Suffering Servant how the glory of God is revealed in the man who the world has considered ‘incomplete’.  He has waited thirty-eight years by the pool of Bethesda.  Every day, as he gazes up towards the temple of Israel on its mountain, he is reminded that he can never make it there - so he must settle for the scraps of people who are allowed into the courtyard.

And then, the one with all the power arrives…

Pr Reid Matthias

Bible Readings: John 15:1-15
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

Prayer Request
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

Praise Point
This Sunday at the 10.30am service Isla Victoria Sutherland, daughter of Ashlee and Brad, will be welcomed into God’s family through Holy Baptism.

Step Up to Communion
Young people aged 10 and over, and their parents, are invited to take part in our Step Up program to prepare for Holy Communion.  Taking the approach that parents are the primary faith developers in their children, Step Up is designed to support parents in preparing their child for Holy Communion.

Step 1 (Launch) Family Lunch – Sunday 20th October, 12:30-2:30pm in the church hall.
To register please contact Georgie Schuster, Young Families Coordinator at georgie.schuster@paravista.org.au  More information is available on the Church website http://paravista.org.au/baptism-setup/

From the Office

Mission Vision Support
This month’s support will go towards the Meet & Eat team.  The team have supplied over 2,300 meals this year on a very meagre budget to the lonely and less fortunate.  They have also listened to many stories and shared through a scrumptious hot meal the love of Jesus to many who really need it.  Their motto is ‘Come as a stranger, leave as a friend’.  Look for the Mission Vision Support envelopes at the entry doors and consider how you can assist, or donations can be made to:
BSB: 704942
Account number: 100713424
Reference: Meetneat

Regular Electronic Giving (REG)
www.lll.org.au/REG

REG is a way for our members to regularly support the mission of our church.  Details of transactions are kept totally confidential. None of your personal details are given to the congregation or treasurer. The treasurer is only advised of the total amount credited to the account for the month. For those who are altering their giving through REG or wish to start giving via REG the appropriate forms are available from this link http://www.lll.org.au/giving_through_the_lll/regular_electronic_giving_reg
Use account number 100354939, BSB 704942
Alternatively deposits can be made to the following bank account details:
BSB 704942, account number 10354939

www.sant.lca.org.au/

“And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Romans 5:2b-4

Jesus Shows Us How to Care

What’s been the greatest loss you’ve experienced in life?  Chances are that it was the death of a person who was near and dear to you - perhaps a parent, a husband or wife, a child, a grandparent, or a good friend.

Our grief from a significant loss is not an event, but a journey.  Grief doesn’t end with the funeral service – it can last for several years.  Some find that it casts a shadow over the rest of their lives.

We grieve because we love!  The deeper the love, the greater the grief.  Working through the devastation of not having that person in one’s life anymore is a difficult, painful, and slow process.

It’s like taking a train ride through the tunnel of a mountain.  What was once sunny and bright now feels dark and gloomy.  There are turns through the tunnel, and the journey goes on.  Time seems to stand still.  The darkness seems to remain... until coming around the last turn… and then a glimmer of light appears on the horizon.  Gradually the brightness and warmth return as you exit from the tunnel.  Yet you emerge a different person than you were before your loss.

Our hope in Jesus doesn’t prevent loss and grief.  The pain and emotions need to be felt, expressed, and worked through.  That’s a necessary and healthy part of being human.

What can we learn from Jesus as we participate in HIS ongoing ministry of care to grieving and hurting people?  As much as Jesus’ miracles amaze me, I am equally impressed with the pastoral care Jesus gives to people one on one.  This Sunday we will explore a time when Jesus turns up at a funeral, and reaches out to a widow with compassion and care.

While we may not be able to do the miracles Jesus did, we can come alongside people, listen to their stories, support them on the journey, and help them find hope in Jesus.

Our hope in Jesus gives us assurance that our tears will one day be wiped away.  At our last breath, another train will take us to a destination where pain, suffering, and grief will be a thing of the past (Revelation 7:13-17; 21:1-5).  And we will exclaim: “Ahhh, home at last!”

Pr Rolly Stahl

Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 24:17-22, Luke 7:11-17
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au 

Prayer Request
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.


Having Your Child Baptised is a short course to help parents and families prepare for their first baptism at Good Shepherd.

Our next course commences Tuesday September 3rd at 7:30pm at Good Shepherd, continuing the next two Tuesday evenings (Sept 10, 17). 

For more info and how to register: https://paravista.org.au/contact-us/baptism/

From the Office

Mission Vision Support
This month’s support will go towards the Meet N Eat team.  The team have supplied over 2,300 meals this year on a very meagre budget to the lonely and less fortunate.  They have also listened to many stories and shared through a scrumptious hot meal the love of Jesus to many who really need it.  Their motto is ‘Come as a stranger, leave as a friend’.  Look for the Mission Vision Support envelopes at the entry doors and consider how you can assist, or donations can be made to:
BSB: 704942
Account number: 100713424
Reference: Meetneat

Library Notice
A book titled ‘The case for miracles’ by Lee Strobel was donated to the library earlier this year. The book seems to have been inadvertently borrowed without using the computer or a borrowing slip and has been missing for a number of months.  There are members waiting to borrow the book and would appreciate it being returned to the ‘Return Here’ crate in the library so others can enjoy it.

Has your shelf or cupboard got an empty space?
If so a number of platters and serving items have been left in the church complex after the last few functions.  Please check the kitchen/café area and take all your items home with you as surplus items will be removed from the area after 4 weeks and placed in the community care bin.  Remember lost property box is also located on the cupboard in the hall leading from the parenting room to the rest rooms.

Regular Electronic Giving (REG)
www.lll.org.au/REG

REG is a way for our members to regularly support the mission of our church.  Details of transactions are kept totally confidential. None of your personal details are given to the congregation or treasurer. The treasurer is only advised of the total amount credited to the account for the month. For those who are altering their giving through REG or wish to start giving via REG the appropriate forms are available from this link http://www.lll.org.au/giving_through_the_lll/regular_electronic_giving_reg  use account number 100354939, BSB 704942
Alternatively deposits can be made to the following bank account details
BSB 704942. account number 10354939

www.sant.lca.org.au/

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4